The flip-flop flap

Chicago Tribune: We're just guessing here, but it's not likely that President Bush was too shocked when some members of the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team showed up at the White House recently in flip-flops. For one thing, he's the father of two girls who are not long out of college. But judging by the reaction of some, you'd think the lacrosse women had sparked an international incident. The aghast reaction was summarized in an e-mail that one of the players, Kate Darmody, received from her brother: "YOU WORE FLIP-FLOPS TO THE WHITE HOUSE?!" Well, yes, she and others did, and this was regarded by some people as a faux pas. The flip-flop has become de rigueur for both males and females of a certain age. They're worn in every season and to everything from beaches to proms to weddings. Flip-flop fashion is so hot that some are bejeweled, sequined or embroidered and run into serious money, as far from the 99-cent beach sandal of our youth as a tuxedo is from a T-shirt. (We've also seen tuxedo T-shirts, though not at the White House.) Part of the appeal of the flip-flop, of course, is in rebellion, in pushing the boundaries of where they can be worn. Still, as rebellions go, this one is mild. For those who suggested that the flip-flop flap revealed some sort of moral decay, we note that the team is auctioning off the celebrated flip-flops to raise money for a 10-year-old girl, a lacrosse fan who is battling a brain tumor. Now that's some fancy footwork.